Manuel Akanji aims new dig at 'time-wasting' Arsenal in defiant Man City title message

Manuel Akanji believes Arsenal have become masters of the dark arts under Mikel Arteta - but says it will not be enough to stop Manchester City winning the Premier League again this season.

Arsenal and City played out a pulsating 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser securing Pep Guardiola’s side the point that keeps them top of the table.

The Gunners had led 2-1 at half-time and survived a second-half onslaught with only 10 men after Leandro Trossard was sent off just before the break.

Akanji has admitted Arsenal were hard to play against, accusing them of time-wasting, but he remains bullish that they will not stop City winning a fifth title in a row.

Asked if Arsenal are masters of the dark arts, Akanji said: “Yeah, but in the end we always won the title and I don’t think it’s going to be different this year.”

Arsenal’s tactics riled the City players and after the match midfielder Bernardo Silva argued “there was only one team that came to play football”.

Stones referred to the Gunners’ methods as “dirty” and Akanji believes there aren’t many teams in Europe superior to Arsenal when it comes to the dark arts.

“I don’t think there are many better than them at it,” he said. “With the time-wasting, we cannot control this. It is up to the referee to do.

“But in the end, it’s obviously hard to score against anyone who has 10 with the keeper in their own box.

“So we tried our best. But if you don’t concede the two goals, then it looks differently. It was maybe one goal too much.”

City’s late goal on Sunday sparked a heated end to the game, with players from both sides exchanging words at the full-time whistle.

Arsenal have finished second behind City in each of the past two seasons and Akanji thinks the rivalry has gone up a level this year.

“That’s what they're looking for in the end, we have to defend ourselves because in every duel, every free-kick that was given, they went on the floor,” he said.

“Players go on the floor to get up, sprint back again, go on the floor again, one of their team went over to tell the keeper to go on the floor and stuff like this.

Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji

“I mean, there’s nothing we can do about it. In the end, it’s up to the referee to control throughout the whole season, to control these situations. But yeah, there’s nothing else we can do about it.

“Always when we play against them, that’s what they’re looking for. The drama. Going hard in the duels, defence, 11 players in their own box and then go on set-pieces and try to score a goal.

“It worked for them so if they’re happy with the one point. We’re not, we tried to get more but that’s what they’re happy with.

“Of course, at the end of the day we’re still top of the league. We haven’t lost a game yet.

“It’s not easy to officiate a game like this because it’s played really hard from the start. It’s not easy, we tried to do our thing, do our game.”